Game apparatus



W. E. BLACKBURN.

GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED :uLY1o.191a,

1,432,830. Y Patented 001:.24,1922

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET lx 8 WEB Zack 57472, mm1/w17,

-W. E. BLACKBURN.

GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED JULY 10,1918.

Y Patenied 0017.24, 1922, Y 2 2 SHEETS-snm L; h U 17529- Patented @cti24, 192.2.

WILMUTI-I E. IBLACKBURN,`

OF SUT/INIT, NEW JERSEY.

.GAME APPARATUS.

Application filed July 10,

To ZZ fui/om t may concern yBe it known that l, llTiLMU'rH lil. BLACK-BURN, a citizenot the United State-s, and resident of Summit, in thecounty of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new anduselul Improvements in Game Apparatus, oit' which the following-is aspecilication. v n

rThis invention relates to improvements in game apparatus, pertaininglmore particularly to means for controlling the` activity ot apparatusyof this type.

Game apparatus ot various types is well known, including` apparatus inwhich there is more or less requirement of skill in operation. Fees aregenerally charged for the use ot the apparatus, and in some ot thetypes-those inwhich the playing elements are fixed or otherwise securedin position. it has been possible to provide for prepayment as arequisite for the use oit the apparatus. Where, however7 the apparatusincludes playing elements which are entirely separate from the fixedelements, this prepayment becomes more or less difficult, and it is thegeneral practice to employ an attendant tor the purpose of taking careolf the playing' elements and collect the tees. thus materiallyincreasing the cost of operation through the cost of additional labor.

The present invention is designed to overcome this dilliculty and permitoperation of this latter type ot apparatusfunderprepayment principles,and; at the: same time provide the apparatus in such form as topractically dispense with attendance. This is obtained generally byautomatically collecting the balls or missiles ata point normally`inaccessible, the allotted number of' balls or missiles being renderedaccessible by manipulation of a control device in the presence ot thetee tokengthe control device may be an element operative m there-setting ot the game apparatus.

vention is hereinafter disclosed. said vinvention consists in thevimproved construction andA combination 'ot' parts hereinafter tullydescribed, illustrated inthe accompanying' drawings.and moreparticularly pointed 'out in theappended claims.,

191e. sei-iai No. 244,258.

In the accompanying drawings, in which 2 is a view, partly in sectionandpartly in elevation, showing.mechanism for carrying out the principlesof the invention; Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view olI partsshown in Figure 2; Figure il is a cross-sectional view taken on linefl-el ot Figure 3 Figure 5 is a detail perspective view ot a locking dogor pawl; Figure G is a detail perspective view showing a 'simple form otactuating' device operative in connection with the control.

The game apparatus'illustrated is ot the general type disclosed in mycompanion application tiled August 2l, 1.9i?. Serial No, 187,327, inwhich t indicates a target carrying' a plurality ol goals or pockets L,the

target being located at the rear ot' a runway c over which the balls ormissiles are moved, said runway havingitsrear end upturned--` curved orinclined-as at c', causing the travelling' ball or missile to betrajected upwardv from the runway into contact with ar baille Z locatedabove the goals, the latter dellectinif the ball or missile in thedirection olf the goals. The goals may have ditierent goal values, andare preferably arranged in such manner that each discharges a ball ormissile in such manner as .to cause the latter to pass into a ball racee located at one side of the runway, the balls being,` collected in therace e.

.in a companion application l have disclosed an indicating mechanisl'nwhich may be utilized in connection with the apparatus, thc exposureopening' thereof being' shown at j in Figure l.: an indicator element gbeing` shown as exposing indications through ,the opening'. Themechanism is olE a type requiring' re-setting` in advance ot playing' agame. and this re-settinp` lever is utilized in vconnection with thepresent invention, although it will lnyunderstood that the present`invent-ion may he utilized without the iildicating mechanisu'i referredto. Aliu the dawing's .l have indicated the lever at lz, and theconnection with the speci-tic indicatino' structure at t.

.in practicing' thc present invention with the game apparatus disclosed.l. preferably toreshorten the race c so that its outer end similar tosupport l1..

terminates a suitable distance from the pila` ing end of the runway, therace preferably extending` to av lower plane than the runway to permitthe'tormatioii ot a pocket l() bene-ath the latter. y rllhis pocket maybe of Suitable formation, the drawingl indieating it as having a curvedwall l0*L which. leads 'from the end of the fixed race e to the oppositeside ot the runway trame, thev outer end ot the pocket being shown aspartially open-sufficient space being) provided to .permit ot theremoval of balls or missiles therefrom when the latter have beenpermitted to enter the pocket and pass into juxtaposition to a retainingmember 10" at the open end ot' the pocket.

Race e is shown as terminating at the entrance to the pocket, the racebeing continued in the `form oi a pivoted section or support il whichnormally 'lormsa continuation ot the race so that the balls or missileslare free to travel on to such pivoted support 1n returning over theracc7 the latter being` preferably'sufficiently sloped to cause suchmovement ot the balls or missiles as is usual. lllhile support ll isshown as equal in length to the depth of the poclret`l it will beunderstood that this is not arbit "ary, since race e may extend beyondtlie wall l0 otl the pocket, in which case it is preferred that thebottom ot the race be inclined transversely As support 1l. is designedto deliver but a predetermined number of balls or missiles, it will beunderstood thatthis may be controlled byincreasinfr the i length of racee or placing a iilling block at the outer end of the support. where aless number ot balls or missiles are to be delivered, the drawingsindicating a number which just illsthe length ot the support.

` As shown in Figure 4, support ll normally inclined downwardly from itshinge line on a cross-section oi the support, thus normally retaining`the balls or `missiles in position thereon.` the opposite edge ot thesupport being' connected to a link l2 carried by an arm 13 projectingtrom lever It. the latter being pivoted as at la?. a stop lil be- 'ingprovided to limit the travel ol: the lever in one direction. )is will beunderstood. the balls or missiles will remain in the position ot ligureet as longas lever 71, is not shifted. thus retaining the supply forplaying` the game inaccessible. It', however; lever V'/i be moved towardthe lett in Figure Q. the movement will raise the free edge ot thesupport and place the latter on an inclination above lthe horizontal,with the result that the balls or missiles contained thereon will rollott the support and nass. into the pocket where they will pass to theopen end ot the latter. As this upward movement o't thc support carriesthe latter above the plane ot the bottom ot' race e it will beunderstood tliatany balls or missiles which may have been held tures otthe present invention is to provide tor prepayment, and this is had byprevent.- ing the pivotal movement ot' lever 7i excepting when the teetoken has been placed in the apparatus, this token controlling theability to shilt the lever. rlhemechanism for providing this result ismore particularly illus rated in Figures Q, and G;

-As shown in Figures 2 and 6. lever 7L is provided with a control devicein the form oi a token seat lt normally loc-ated invertical alignmentwith a slot l5 in the. :traine ot the runway, this seat being formed asa part ot a-plate or member 1.6 carried by the lever. Said seat is soarranged that when theflever is in normal position the token'will remainseated thereom but when the lever is shifted the token will passtherefrom into a runway 1T which maybe carried by the lever and leadingto a suitable accumulating receptacle, not shown.

'1S indicates a latching dog or pawl. shown as ot the gravity type andpivotally mounted'as at ltlt. This dog or pawl carries a iirojection 1S"which normally lies within a rccess '1(5u ot member Mirthe end ofthe do;r or pawl extending into a depression or recess ltb. Dog or pawl 1S isalso formed with an opening 18" extending in alinement with the slot andthrough which the token passes en route to its seat. As shown. opening1S is Yflared at p its lower end *toV provide a wall iSd.

As will be seen from Figure 2. when the token `is in position on `itsseat. movci'nent of the lever toward the leltwill cause the edge otthe-token to contact with wall 18d. with the result that as the levercontinues its movement, dog 18 will be raised suiliciently to carry theend of thevdog above the top ot depression 16", permitting the lever tocontinue its movementprojection 18h raising` the dog sutlicicntly to'free the token :from any retaining eitect which may be provided by thedog. "o that the token is free to pass on into the runway'l. Thismovement ot the lever delivers the balls 0r missiles, as heretoforeexplained. Then the lever is freed, it may be returned to `normalposition in any desired manner; as by a spring 7i?.

When.y however, attempt is madeto shi't't the lever in the absence of atoken, the end ol dogl or pawl 1S will contact with a wall o'tdepression 1.61. thus `preventing further movement ot' the lever andconsequently retaining support ll in position to prevent delivery ol theballs or missiles thereon.

Cgi

for the next player or game. As the movements of the lever are dependenton the presence of the fee token, prepayment must be had to permit theplaying to take place. Obviously, the mechanism employed is of simplecharacter, efficient in operation, durable in construction, and capableof manufacture at low cost. i

`While I have herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the`invention and one form of game apparatus to which it may be applied, itwill be readily understood that this is more or less illustrative, theinvention not being specifically limited to the particular form orarrangement of the mechanism or the particular surroundings in which itmay be employed, since the exigencies of use may require changesvorvariations therein or such changes or modifications may be founddesirable for other reasons. I therefore desire to be Yumlerstood that Ireserve the right to make any and all such changes or modifications ofthe invention as may be found desirable or essential in so far as the`same may fall within the spirit or scope of the invention as expressedin the accompanying claims, vwhen broadly construed.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new is v l. Inapparatus of the character described and in combination, a shiftablesupport, a pivoted lever operative to position and shift the support,said lever being` normally inclined from the vertical and movable towardand from the vertical in the support shifting movements, said leverhaving' a seat for a token with the seat operative to support the tokenthereon when the lever is in its normal position and to permit movementof the token from the seat when 'the lever is moved to the verticalposition, and means for normally maintaining said lever against movementto prevent support shifting action, said means including a latch elementnormally cooperating with the lever to lock the latter against suchmovement, said element beingl shiftable to release the lever in thepresence of a token, said latch element being located in the path oftravel of the token and slotted for the passage of the token andpositioned to direct the token to such seat when the lever is in itsheld position.

2. In apparatus of the character described and in combination` ashiftable support, a pivoted lever operative to position and shift thesupport, said lever being' movable between vertical and inclinedpositions during the support shifting movements and havinga token seat,said seat having a. configuration to Iretain the token in position whenthe lever is in an inclined position and ineffective to provide suchsupport when the lever is moved to the vert-ical position, latch devicecooperative with the lever to normally maintain the lever locked, saiddevice being relatively.' positioned to cause movement of the devicefrom latching position during lever movement had in the presence of atoken on said seat, said latch element being locatedin the path oftravel of the token and slotted for the passage of the token andpositioned to direct the token to such seat when the lever is in itsheld position.

i3. In appz-iratus of the character described and in combination, ashiftable support, a pivoted lever operative to position and shift thesupport, said lever havinga token seat, a. pivoted latch elementnormally cooperative with the lever to maintain the latter locked. saidelement` havingl a face opposing said seat and normally positioned inthe path of travel of a token carried on said. seat to provide movementof the element to release the lever by suoli token movements, and achute carried by and movable with the lever to receive the token vwhenthe lever is moved to a predetermined position,

Signed' at New ,Yorin in the count)Y of New York and State of lNew York,this fifth day of July, A. l). 1918.

lVILMU' Il l. BLACKBURN.

